Antiskid device



P62? 22, I938. a T, KlNNEAR 2,109,068

ANTISKID DEVICE Fi%ed March 6, 1957 Patented Feb. 22, 1938 EJNHTEDSTATES FFICE Claims.

This invention relates to anti-skid chains such as are used onautomobile tires under treacherous road conditions. Such chains commonlycomprise two side chains and a plurality of cross 5 chains, the sidechains encircling the tire and the cross chains being disposed in spacedrelation across the tread and between the side chains and being securedat their ends to said side chains. Such anti-skid chains are fairlyefiicient and satisfactory for increasing traction in mud or snow, butare less satisfactory on ice and do not efiectively control side slip orskidding of an automobile.

It is the general object of my invention to provide improved means forattaching the cross chains to the side chains and furthermore to provide such attaching means with ice-engaging spurs or projections bywhich side slipping or skidding may be substantially eliminated.

A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawing, in which Fig.1 is a perspective view showing a portion of a tire with my improvedanti-skid chains applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of my improved attaching device, looking inthe direction of the arrow 2 in Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation thereof, looking in the direction of thearrow 3 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an exploded view showing the several parts of my attachingdevice separately positioned;

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view, taken along the line 5-5 in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the base member of my improved attachingdevice; and

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the cap which forms the second part ofthe device.

Referring to the drawing, I have shown a por- 40 tion of a pneumatictire T of the type commonly used on automobiles, and I have shownmounted thereon a set of anti-skid chains comprising side chains H] anda plurality of cross chains M. It will be understood that a second sidechain iii 45 (not shown) is provided at the opposite side of the tire T,and that the cross chains II are secured at both ends to said sidechains.

The side chains l0 and cross chains ll may be of usual commercialconstruction and the cross 50 chains may be provided with hooks I2 attheir ends which are also substantially of the usual construction,except that they are preferably of somewhat greater length toaccommodate the attaching devices.

The hooks l2 are inserted in links in the side chains l (i in the usualmanner but the ends of the hooks are left open, as shown in Figs. 2 and4, instead of being tightly closed down around the side chain links,which is the usual practice and I which necessitates the use of toolsand substan- '5 tial force, both for closing and opening the hooks.

In order to secure the cross chains I l and hooks [2 to the side chainsIll, I provide a special attaching device for each hook l2. Eachattaching 10 device comprises a base member 20, a cap 2|, a nut 22 and acotter-pin 23.

The base member 20 and cap 2| are preferably formed as steel forgings ofsuch composition that portions of the base member may be hardened ifdesired.

The base member 20 is longitudinally grooved, as indicated at 25, toreceive the side portions of the hook l2, and the middle part 26 of thebase member 2!! is of such width as to fit loosely between the sides ofthe hook, as indicated in Fig. 3.

A hook-like projection 21 is formed at one end of the middle part 26 andprojects upward between the ends of the hook I2 when assembledtherewith. The middle portion 26 is also pro vided with a threaded stud28 and with a wedgelike spur 30.

The cap 2! has an opening 32 to receive the stud 28, a recess 33 toclear the spur 30, and pockets 34 to receive the ends of the hook I2.

In assembling the cross chains with the side chains, a hook i2 is firstinserted in a link of a side chain it. A cap 2i is then placed on thehook l2, with the ends of the hook positioned in the pockets 34, and abase member 20 is then placed under the hook, with the stud 28projecting through the opening 3?. and with the hook-like portion 2iprojecting through the link in the side chain It. A nut 22 is thenplaced on the stud 23 and turned down to firmly secure the base member20 and cap 2| in position. A cotter-pin 23 is then inserted in a crossopening in the stud 23 and in one of the notches 40 in the outer end ofthe nut 22.

When thus assembled, it will be evident that the cross chain ispositively secured to each side chain and that the pull of the crosschain is distributed on the ends of the hook l2 and on the hook portion2! of the base member 20.

The spur 39 is so positioned that it will clear the ground under normalrunning conditions but at the beginning of side slip or skidding, one ormore spurs 3% will be drawn downward to such position as to engage theice or other road surface and to strongly resist cross sliding orskidding of the car.

As chains are commonly used on both driving wheels and as at least threecross chains commonly engage the ground at all times, there will alwaysbe at least six of the spurs 30 Which are so positioned that they canengage theground and stop side slipping. 7 If found desirable, the spurs30 may be hardened to increase their wearing qualities. 1

By the use of my invention, I notlonly provide improved and convenientmeans for attaching or removing cross chains from side chains, but Ialso provide anti-skid spurs of such construction that they may beconveniently assembled and used with the ordinary commercial type ofcross chain.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do notwish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than asset forth in the claims, but what I claim is 1. In an anti-skidcontrivance comprising side chains, cross chains and hookslfor the endsof said cross chains, that improvement which consists in providing aseparable device for securing each of said hooks in operative relationto its associated side chain, which separable securing device comprisesa base member, a clamping cap and means to hold said parts in assembledrelation with a hook and side chain, said base member having ananti-skid projection integral with that portion of the base member whichis adjacent the end of the cross chain and said projection extendingoutward from said base member beyond said cap to ground-engagingposition. 7

2. The combintion in an anti-skid contrivance as set forth in claim 1,in which the base mem' ber has a holding projection at one end engaginga link in said side chain.

3. The combination in an anti-skid contrivance as set forth in'claim 1,in which the holding means comprises a threaded stud on said base memberextending through said cap, a nut on said stud, and means to preventdisplacement BLANCH T. KINNEAR.

